Toyota not tooting its own horn for being No. 1

Toyota was officially crowned the world's No. 1 automaker Monday when the Japanese company released its global sales figures for 2012.

And to promote this achievement, Toyota plans to do ... nothing.

What may seem like a public relations coup will likely be downplayed by Toyota.

"Our focus has always been on building the best products and taking great care of our customers," said Sona Iliffe-Moon, a spokeswoman at Toyota's U.S. sales and marketing headquarters in Torrance. "Our goal has always been to be the No. 1 brand for the customer, not No. 1 in volume."

In an email to the Daily Breeze, Iliffe-Moon added: "We don't intend to market this distinction but rather will focus on growing our relationships with our customers."

Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday that its 2012 sales tally was a record 9.748 million vehicles, which is higher than an earlier estimate of about 9.7 million.

That put Toyota ahead of General Motors Co., which sold 9.29 million vehicles last year. GM fell to No. 2.

The first time Toyota surpassed GM was in 2008, after decades of domination by the American car company.

Toyota lost the sales crown to GM in 2011 after a devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan stalled production, leading to shortages at dealerships worldwide. Toyota was also hurt by an embarrassing series of recalls starting in 2009 over sticking accelerator pedals.

Even when Toyota first overtook GM in 2008, the Japanese company's executives downplayed its No. 1 status.

"It's very customary for a Japanese company. They're not one to pound their chest over their accomplishments," said Jessica Caldwell, a senior analyst at auto information site Edmunds.com. "They want to keep pushing themselves."

However, being the top-selling car company does carry some cache, Caldwell said.

"On the consumer level, you wouldn't question buying something that is the top seller," Caldwell said.

Being No. 1 can also help drive investors to Toyota, the analyst added.

"There are a lot of intangibles that help the company," Caldwell said.

However, being at the top has its drawbacks, as people scrutinize you more and competitors focus on outdoing you, Caldwell said.